There are around 400 members of staff who work in the Estates Division on the development, management and maintenance of one of the largest higher education estates in the UK.
The University has over 370 buildings that form its operational estate, which are used for teaching, research and their support or administrative functions.
The University’s non-operational property portfolio includes residential buildings, commercial properties including leisure and retail , sports facilities, infrastructure including roads and car parks, and forestry and agricultural land.
The operational estate is made up of
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375 Buildings
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771,471 sqm gross internal floor area
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Listed Buildings cover 19% of the GIA
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669ha site area
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£44m capital expenditure in 2023/24
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3,400 car parking spaces
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11,400 cycle spaces
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£4.7bn value of buildings
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Room area use:
- Teaching 16.4%
- Research 48.9%
- Support 20.5%
- Other 7.7%
- Vacant 6.5%
Note: the figures above are for the Operational Estate used for teaching, research and administrative activities as of July 2024 (source is HESA EMR 2023/24). Non-operational/investment properties are excluded, as well as the Colleges which are separate independently managed institutions.
Our vision for the University’s estate is to support the University’s academic mission by developing facilities and links that better connect people (a) across our estate, (b) within our sites, (c) inside our buildings.
By delivering higher quality and more welcoming places that encourage collaboration and promote an inter-connected community of scholars, we will improve academic outcomes in a way that also uses our estate more intensively.
This will create vibrant spaces that will improve both the staff and student experience and their wellbeing in a way that is more enjoyable and supportive for all our people, as well as being more biodiverse and sustainable, all at a lower cost, enabling reinvestment back into research and teaching.
We will achieve this by:
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Creating a more effective, efficient and environmentally sustainable estate by implementing a Strategic Estate Framework and 20+ year Capital Plan that supports the future development of the estate.
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Delivering world-class, safe and compliant teaching, research, and operational spaces across the University by operating and maintaining buildings and facilities to an exceptional standard.
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Providing innovative and well-utilised spaces that deliver strong financial returns for the University by managing the commercial and residential estate including academic and business partnerships.
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Enabling the University to deliver against its environmental commitments by leading the environmental sustainability agenda and improving the environmental performance of the estate and associated operations, covering carbon, energy, water, waste, transport, and biodiversity.
The following articles recount the history and development of the Division:
The University's Estate Management and Building Service - Its History and Development (published in Cambridge Society Magazine 25, 1989)
